Organisers of Rosemount Australian Fashion Week launched an autumn/winter collections schedule for the first time this year. Erin O’Loughlin gets the verdict from designers who took part in the inaugural Instalment.
In the midst of selling his eighth season, Beat Poet co-designer Edward von Bertouch feels his menswear label is starting to cement a firm industry profile.
With 10 to 15 new stockist enquiries, a return of regular buyers from stores such as Fat, Harry Highpants and Violent Green, and a sprinkling of interest from the international market – namely retailers in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan – autumn/winter 2010 sales are “looking good”, he says.
Beat Poet’s first ever showing at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW) earlier this year is a large part of the equation, the designer believes.
And while the label’s participation in this year’s corresponding promotion for autumn/winter – the 2010 Collections Schedule, published on RAFW’s website by organiser IMG Fashion Asia Pacific – has not resulted in any measurable new enquiries, von Bertouch is philosophical rather than frustrated.
“We have quite a good web presence anyway, so [the official listing] was just an additional thing,” he says. “A lot of the new stockist enquiries that we have got in the last six months have been as a direct result of Fashion Week itself earlier in the year.
“Being involved with that and being on the website at the same time in that regard was hugely beneficial to us.
“I think it’s just one of those things that may have worked for some people and for whatever reason we haven’t seemed to have much of a response from that particular website. Perhaps they don’t publicise it enough at their end; I’m not sure.”
IMG Fashion Asia Pacific introduced the schedule for the first time this year, after waning demand from domestic and international buyers forced organisers to pull an autumn/winter runway showcase in Melbourne and, later, a transeasonal instalment in Sydney.
Streetwear label UnNaked’s verdict on the schedule is similar to that of von Bertouch. Designer Andy McIntyre says while the online reference tool has not helped with autumn/winter sales as far as he’s aware, he is still appreciative of the opportunity after a reasonably tough trading year for designers.
“Because we did a catwalk show with them for Fashion Week, it’s like an added extra that they’ve given us,” he says. “This year Fashion Week wasn’t overtly successful for anyone that I know, in finding new clients ... so I think [IMG was] trying to help us out now.”
The designer, who has produced heavy merino wool coats and jersey dresses for his autumn/winter collection, says fluctuating economic indicators have left buyers cautious and intent on doing their own legwork when it comes to selecting new stock.
“We’ve picked up maybe five new clients in the last couple of months and that’s through no activity of our own. That was through people finding us through other labels or us doing catwalk parades at charity events or things like that.”
Twenty-Seven Names co-designer Anjali Stewart has noticed a similar trend. In addition to her base in New Zealand, the men’s and womenswear label is stocked in Australia, Hong Kong and the UK, so Stewart says it’s “a really good idea” to provide a web-based resource that buyers can turn to.
“I’ve contacted the same people I usually contact and new people, and what we’re finding happens at the moment is people contact us to be stocked,” she says. “It doesn’t really work the other way around.”
She says the online schedule’s main stumbling block is the lack of promotion it has received, a problem compounded by her location.
“I think [when it comes to] spring/summer, everybody knows what’s going on in Sydney and in Australia, and it’s really, really good. They do an awesome job in summer. But I do know that a lot of buyers had no idea that there was anything really going on for winter.”
Designers also agree that the online schedule’s October 1 launch date came a little late in the selling season. Designer of womenswear label Lilya, Lisa Chedanne, says it was “unfortunate” and suggested a July launch date to accommodate August selling. Yet even without any changes, all designers affirmed they would be happy to take part in the official online listing next year.
Chedanne, whose autumn/winter 2010 collection includes a statement Bianca Jagger-style 1970s fur jacket, says it makes good business sense.
“I’m really happy to be part of their website. If there are buyers going on there and looking and we’re listed, then that’s fantastic. I think if it’s something they offer you that’s part of a package where more people may get to see you, of course you should take part.”
Van Bertouch agrees. “Certainly we wouldn’t say no ... It’s probably something that might take a few years for people to actually start to go and check it out every year.”